Dreaming...again

This is one of the things I packed in my hospital bag last time:
Starbucks gift cards to thank my nurses. Also, I always dream of coffee....

I've had many vivid dreams throughout my life and throughout my past pregnancy, as that seems to be one very consistent (and off) side effect of having a baby. This pregnancy is no different. There have again been dreams about family vacations, dreams about being in crowds during Covid, and, of course, baby dreams.

So far I haven't had any dreams about what my future child will look like, but I did have a dream where I was in labor, sitting in a hospital room with a TV and family around me. The most I remember about the situation was that there were way too many people and I wanted to be alone. Also, I think the doctor was trying to push an epidural on me and I didn't want it.

I also dreamed months ago (early July) that we got a piece of paper with my lab results for genetic testing and also the sex of the baby. In the dream I peeked inside the envelope and saw it said "boy." That dream actually turned out to be true!

Last night the dream was a little different. While most of it involved Black Friday shopping with my husband's aunt and my son, at the end of the dream I was having contractions. I don't even remember where I was or what I was doing or what the contractions looked or felt like. But I woke up worrying that I was really having contractions. My belly was a little tight on top (a possible sign of Braxton Hicks contractions--the "fake" ones) and I thought I felt hints of radiating pain in my lower pelvis that was reminiscent of my first baby's contractions in the hospital before his birth. The very minor pain wasn't coming and going consistently, however, as contractions actually do. It stayed steady for about an hour rather than coming and going, and then was completely gone by the time I got to work. So...probably not real contractions?

Still, I have a strong urge to ensure my hospital bag is packed and ready to go, even this early, just in case!

My plans for the hospital bag include:

-My new camera, plus charging cord and memory card.

-Baby name announcement blanket and wooden disc for filling out birth stats (don't forget a good marker/pen!).

-Extra long extension cord for plugging in phone or camera.

-Phone plus phone charger.

-Coming home outfit for baby.

-Coming home outfit for me (don't forget undergarments!).

-Matching robe and swaddle for photos.

-Flip flops for walking in the hospital.

-Bag with toothbrush/toothpaste, shampoo/body wash, comb, lipstick/lip balm, gum, and any other needed toiletries for spending hopefully no more than one night

-Wallet with ID and insurance!

-Sweater and/or jacket since it will be January after all.

-Thank you cards/gifts for my nurses

-Possibly a nursing pillow and nipple shields, but it may be too early to need them.

-Carseat with infant insert (in the car, not in the hospital bag itself).

And...that really may be all I need. It might be helpful to also have snacks, and Hubby will probably want to bring his own iPad, phone charger, wallet, and toiletries. But I'm a firm believer in not overpacking, so I'll leave the sometimes recommended extra pillows, towels, socks, blankets at home. Our hospital provides quite a bit of amenities as I learned from having Baby 1. And even if what they provide are not the most comfortable pillows or towels on the planet, they should do the trick for a day or two.

Hopefully my next dream won't be that I forgot something important! "Forgetting something big" tends to be popular dream content, and it's not fun to experience until you actually wake up with relief. In reality, while Hubby might be able to get away to pick up any forgotten items from our house, I don't really want to be left alone in the hospital (we're only allowed 1-2 visitors during Covid times). And given the uncertainty of everything else, I'd love for at least one thing to go as smoothly as possible, even if that one thing is just having everything I need ahead of time.

But with he unpredictability of pregnancy and birth, it's not super likely that what I want to go smoothly will actually go smoothly. Still, I can dream, can't I?